The City of Orillia plans to triple its solar power generation in the next 14 years.
One of the ways it plans to do that is by developing a solar energy master plan. The end goal will be to increase solar power generation from the current 2.5 megawatts produced by Orillia Power Generation to between six to eight megawatts by 2040.
In August, the city's received notice that it is eligible for up to $25,000 from the Province of Ontario's Municipal Energy Plan to foster renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"The funding will support development of a solar master plan to advance Orillia's climate action plan," reads a memo to council.
Orillia's climate change action plan calls for the city to reach net-zero emissions across city operations by 2040 by reducing emissions from municipal buildings, fleet vehicles, infrastructure, and energy use. 
"The city's climate change action plan includes actions aimed at increasing residential solar, business solar and opportunities for community solar programs," said Collin Neveroff, Orillia's environmental sustainability and waste minimization lead.
"The solar master plan is intended to turn that target into a detailed implementation roadmap," Neveroff said.
"It will identify suitable municipal sites, recommend the type and size of solar installation at each location, assess costs and business cases, prioritize projects, and map them across a phased timeline," Neveroff said.
Depending on the site and project, the solar generation can offset electricity consumed at a municipal facility or it could be exported to the local grid, he said.
The next step is to hire a qualified consultant to complete the technical analysis and prepare the solar master plan to the city's project scope. The work will build on existing city studies, identify priority solar sites and explore broader community solar adoption, said Neveroff.
The plan will include a community education component by using the city's solar installations and possibly building a public demonstration project. This would showcase ways in which residents and businesses could add solar projects to their properties.
One of the goals of the plan will be to ease pressure on the local grid and prepare for future growth, according to the council memo.
Provincial grant funds will contribute to the overall project budget, but will not fully fund it. The city already has funding approved for the work under the climate change implementation project and staff will continue to look for more funding, said Neveroff.
Orillia Power Generation, which is owned by the City of Orillia, currently operates seven rooftop solar systems, four in Orillia and three in the Town of Cobourg. The installations have the capability of producing 2.5 megawatts.
"Upon completion, the city will have a prioritized, implementation-ready municipal solar project pipeline; a clear pathway toward its six- to eight-megawatt target," reads the memo.
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